Moments when Toriyama's writing method really impressed you

[matt0044]

We all know Toriyama liked to write by the seat of his pants and how it was impressive how certain things in many arcs were set up so well with neat pay offs as though he planned it but not really. There were times when this didn't work but many times it really did. Especially in Z.

I like how there was never (or rarely) a Deus Ex Machina for the final battle.

So, discuss away.

[Corporate_Nothing]

The seamless transition between the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai and the Piccolo Daimao arc.

[DBZ Mick]

The seamless transition between the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai and the Piccolo Daimao arc.

This and onwards up until Freeza.

But then as a whole I loved the whole 'Dragonball' part of the story. Toriyama constantly upped his game, gags and storytelling.

[CashmanX]

I've always loved the foreshadowing and introduction of cell. Just the way Kami seemed so freaked out really made a few of my hairs raise.

[matt0044]

I've always loved the foreshadowing and introduction of cell. Just the way Kami seemed so freaked out really made a few of my hairs raise.

Yeah, that whole mystery was very new to Dragon Ball and was done fairly well.

I also liked how Toriyama changed things for his editors during the Androids/Cell arc. Given his writing style, it's natural yet amazing that he could change things up yet seem like he planned for it. Everything seemed to fall into place as though Toriyama was a natural at Xanatos Gambits. If only his ways could work for cartoons or other TV shows that need to keep their continuity more in check.

[DBZ Mick]

I've always loved the foreshadowing and introduction of cell. Just the way Kami seemed so freaked out really made a few of my hairs raise.

OH! Yes! I cannot believe I forgot... It's what hooked me into the series after all. I personally loved the whole population of Gingertown disappearing and just the people's clothes remaining. Very chilling!

Then this strange creature having various people ki's, techniques and claiming to be Piccolo's brother.

[Zarathustra]

I wouldn't say impressed, but the story was fairly cohesive up until the Boo Arc.

[NeoKING]

The Saiyan-Freeza arcs were just legendary. I think that whole saga would go down as an example of some of the most epic manga-story telling ever. The whole thing with our heroes falling left and right, Goku dying, coming back, a threat stronger than the last threat, Vegeta's ambitions, Gohan and Krillin sneaking around, I just loved it.

[Piccolo Daimao]

I think the 22nd to 23rd Tenkaichi Budoukai arc was the period that Toriyama really hit his peak in terms of art and storytelling. He was still good beforehand, but it was relatively early days in such a vast saga that was to really come into its own around here. The 22nd TB seamlessly transitions into the Piccolo Daimaou arc with the shocker of one of the main characters, Kuririn's abrupt and totally left-field death, continuing on with the plot of Daimaou's youth restoration and killing of the greatest martial artists (former faces like Giran and Namu), including the deaths of series veteran Muten Roushi and Kuririn. You felt as if the series had been kicked up a notch and it was no longer the gag-a-minute comedy that merely had brief action scenes intertwined with the storyline.

Toriyama's writing also shined through in the Saiyan through early Freeza arcs too, toying with expectations for the series by taking such a decidedly dark tone (moreso than the Piccolo Daimaou arc) by killing off major characters left and right. And the final battle against Vegeta was just nail-bitingly tense, the villain in question simply refusing to stay down, even after a Kaiouken x4 Kamehameha, Genki-Dama and a giant monkey crushing him to the ground. At the end of it, you could see just how exhausting the battle really was, with even the main hero being in the worst shape.

And then there's the whole cat-and-mouse routine on Namek, as well as the best villain of the series: Freeza, who's actually a fairly archetypal character, yet still works so well, you wouldn't think Toriyama would implement such a character like that, and his transformations (literally Toriyama's nightmare fuel) are imaginatively intimidating. It only really goes downhill when Toriyama seemingly can't think of any other way for the heroes to increase in power than to abuse the Zenkai plot device, and then it practically falls apart towards the end.

I'll also commend Toriyama for specifically Gokuu, Gohan, Kuririn, Piccolo and Vegeta's character developments. Subtle, yet effective. And the Cell arc actually puts Gokuu out of commission for a while to put the spotlight on others for the once, not to mention first-form Cell providing a suspenseful horror-movie villain not seen before or after.

Oh, and also, despite being the final act of the Boo arc surrounded by the worst writing of DB, it was nice for once that the new transformation didn't end up saving the day for once, nor even golden-boy Gohan, and it took practically the weakest characters (Gokuu and Vegeta were much weaker than Gotenks and Gohan by this point) and a technique that had essentially failed all the times it had been used (the last time being all the way back in the Freeza arc) to finish him off. The Genki-Dama may've been a bit overly dramatic, but I suppose it kind of fitted in with DB's theme.

[MCDaveG]

What actually impressed me is how the story is so simple, yet it entertained me in combination with the art and designs + I really like Toriyama's jokes.

[medama_oyaji]

I'm watching Yawara! right now, a Judo anime. Watching another anime filled with tournaments, I've been really appreciating how great Toriyama was at the Tenkaichi Budoukai stories. Each match was super entertaining, and often you genuinely don't know what's going to happen and who will win. He had the advantage of working within a more crazy cartoony universe, but I think this still applies when comparing to other series. In some tournament manga and anime (not just Yawara!, which is def good in other regards, I just wish Yawara would lose once and a while) you can look at the brackets beforehand and basically guess how it's going to go. I think it was a brave decision to make Goku lose not once, but TWICE before finally winning the Budoukai.

[penguintruth]

I liked all the manuevering during the Androids/Cell arc, especially the time travel aspect, which was dealt with nicely. Instead of going the easy route, Toriyama decided to introduce alternate timelines, and I thought he did it quite creatively, too.

[SylentEcho]

If one reads the manga for the first time, there's barely anything there that doesn't impress or surprise you.

Dragon Ball was always unpredictable and full of twists and turns. People tend to forget that once they're done with it (the anime) though.

I'd have just preferred it if some of the characters stayed dead instead of coming back again and again. He also should have found a way to make Ten and Yamcha somehow strong enough during the time-skip in order to face Boo.

[matt0044]

I'd have just preferred it if some of the characters stayed dead instead of coming back again and again. He also should have found a way to make Ten and Yamcha somehow strong enough during the time-skip in order to face Boo.

Yeah, Kaio-sama should've taught them the Kaioken during the Namek arc. That would've come in handy.

[Saiga]

He also should have found a way to make Ten and Yamcha somehow strong enough during the time-skip in order to face Boo.

If he left it until the time skip before the Boo saga to try and catch them up, it would have been far too late for it to be anything but a massive ass pull. They were already far too behind at that point, if they were going to catch up they needed to start a lot earlier and avoid falling behind.

[CaBrPi]

I'd have just preferred it if some of the characters stayed dead instead of coming back again and again. He also should have found a way to make Ten and Yamcha somehow strong enough during the time-skip in order to face Boo.

Yeah, Kaio-sama should've taught them the Kaioken during the Namek arc. That would've come in handy.

Well, I don't think they were there as long as Goku was... If I remember correctly, Yamcha would've been there for a month and a half, while Tenshinhan and Chaozu would've been there for about five or six months... Goku was there for a full year.

[dbgtFO]

[...]Goku was there for a full year.

Goku was there for 5 months, remember he spent the first 6 months running on Snake Way.

[Piccolo Daimao]

Not to mention that there's no guarantee that Tenshinhan and Yamcha would even be able to learn Kaiouken and/or the Genki-Dama. Gokuu may've only been able to, due to being a Saiyan and his natural skill as a martial artist.

Just like there's no guarantee that Gokuu could teach any of the others Kaiouken, Genki-Dama and/or Shunkan-Idou. Just because you know something doesn't mean you can teach it to someone else.

[rereboy]

Tenshinhan is a genius who is capable of copying complex techniques just after seeing them once in a short period of time (if not immediately). He should have been able to learn the Kaioken.

[Saiga]

Tenshinhan is a genius who is capable of copying complex techniques just after seeing them once in a short period of time (if not immediately). He should have been able to learn the Kaioken.

Not at all. He copied the Kamehameha because it was, as he called it, a simple technique to copy. That isn't a trait exclusive to him. Goku did it after he first saw it and before he could do any other ki attacks, Yamcha did it with training, Kurilin did it on the fly against his match with Chaozu. There is nothing about Tenshinhan copying the Kamehameha that makes him any more a genius or capable of copying "complex" techniques than anyone else.